NE BUSINESS BUREAU
HAZIRA, JAN 11
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) on Tuesday announced the company has planned to make Rs 80,000 crore investment at its Hazira plant. This will create job opportunity for over one lakh people and also contribute Rs 3,000 crore revenue per year to the government, a top official of the company said.
“We wish to clarify that AM/NS India has applied to the state government for revenue and forest land for its planned expansion projects involving an investment of Rs 80,000 crore. The expansion will lead to the creation of up to 1,00,000 employment opportunities and create additional revenues of Rs 3,000 crore a year to the government exchequer,” said the company spokesperson.
He also refuted the allegations of the Main Opposition party, stating that “We have come across some allegations made by a senior leader of the Congress party in Gujarat against ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) with regards to irregularities in forest land allotment in Hazira. We wish to bring to your attention that the various points raised are misleading and factually incorrect.”
“Since AM/NS India took control of the Hazira plant, it has not been allotted any forest land or any encroachment. The alleged irregularities talked about are from many years ago, and much before AM/NS India’s entry in December 2019,” he clarified.
Defending the company’s stand, he said, “Since taking over the control of the project at a cost of nearly Rs 50,000 crore, AM/NS India has cooperated with the government in regularising the land by paying dues and penalties for acts not committed by it. AM/NS has made payment of penalty charges, including the net present value and interest, as per the Rules and Forest handbook.”
He further added that “the sought land parcels are the only ones available in the vicinity of our existing facility and are required for the integrated expansion of the project. However, we also wish to clarify that these applications are in process and no land allotment has taken place yet.”
The charge that AM/NS India has been given priority in the allocation of 158 hectares of forest land over other applicants is frivolous. As explained above, AM/NS India has sought the land in view of its requirement.
Throwing light on the land allocation norms, he said, “The Hon’ble Gujarat High Court has laid down clear guidelines about how the forest land should be utilised in Hazira. We have full faith in the government processes and are confident the government will take the decision that is in the best interest of the people.”
The allegations were utterly baseless, he said and added that “We would also like to point out that there is no first-come, first-serve dictum for allotment of forest land in the law. Moreover, the five other applicants who have sought the forest land are not Indian industrial houses. They do not have any manufacturing units and their requirement is also very small, which can be met in alternate locations.”
